Cloth spreading means for cutting machines



Oct. 17, 1967 L. J. ULRICH 3,346,954

CLOTH SPREADING MEANS FOR CUTTING MACHINES Filed May 2, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. Z9552? J UZ'wz c'fi BY M4 ATTOFPNE'YS.

Ucf. 17, 1967 J. ULRICH 3,346,954

CLOTH SPREADING MEANS FOR CUTTING MACHINES Filed May 2 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 o /3 8 ll 3 9* Z o 1 I 2 l I g as x 5 I I Z S E I, I g g /3 1 1 g S g I l g E S I I g g g /2 E E I g Q g I I g g g l I 2 L. //5 2 3.4 /.9 S E Ill 2* .9 335 S i r 1 2 Q r I 2 Iii a l ll 44/ 41 INVENTOR.

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United States Patent 3,346,954 CLOTH SPREADING MEANS FOR CUTTING MACHINES Lester J. Ulrich, Cheektowaga, N.Y., assignor to Eastman Machine Company, Buffalo, N.Y. Filed May 2, 1966, Ser. No. 547,018 4 Claims. (Cl. 30273) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A sheet material cutting machine of the type having a base, a standard extending upwardly from the base and a reciprocating knife mounted on the front edge of the standard is provided with a primary fluid passage extending through the standard from an upper portion thereof substantially to the base and a multiplicity of vertically spaced outlet passages communicating with the primary passage and opening laterally through opposite sides of the standard at its zone of greatest width. A pressure fluid such as compressed air is supplied to the passage and discharged therefrom through the outlets against the severed edges of the material being cut to urge the latter away from the standard and thereby reduce the friction therebetween.

This invention relates to motor driven cutting machines of the type commonly used to cut cloth and other sheet material.

Cutting machines of the type with which this invention is concerned customarily are provided with a motor driven reciprocatory knife guided on the front of an upright standard. In practice, the knife and standard are guided by an operator through a stack or pile of material to be cut and as the standard passes through the cut material, it rubs against the severed edges thereof. This poses a problem, because the friction forces thereby developed resist passage of the machine through the material, making the task of the operator more difiicult. Such frictional resistance is particularly noticeable, and objectionable, when cutting along a curve because of the lateral thrust of the standard against the material.

Accordingly, a primary object of this invention is to provide cutting machines of this type with means tending to push the cut material away from the standard and thereby reduce the friction therebetween.

Another object of this invention is to accomplish the foregoing without materially increasing the weight of the machine or otherwise encumbering the same.

In one aspect thereof, a cutting machine of my invention is characterized by the provision of a primary fluid passage extending through the standard from an upper portion thereof substantially to the base, means for supplying compressed air or other fluid under pressure to the primary passage, and lateral outlet passages from the primary passage to the opposite sides of the standard for directing pressure fluid against the severed edges of the material being cut, thereby reducing the friction between the standard and the cut material.

Other objects, advantages and characterizing features of my invention will become apparent from the ensuing detailed description of an illustrative embodiment thereof, taken with the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals denote like parts throughout the various views and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a view in front elevation of a cloth cutting machine provided with material spreading means of my invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation thereof;

3,346,954 Patented Oct. 17, 1967 FIG. 3 is a transverse sectional view thereof on an enlarged scale, taken about on line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary, vertical sectional view thereof taken about on line 4-4 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary, vertical sectional view thereof taken about on line 55 of FIG. 3.

While the spreading arrangement of my invention can be applied to any desired, type of material cutting ma? chine, there is shown by way of illustration a machine having a base 1 formed to rest on and to be moved about a table supporting a stack or pile of material to be cut, not shown. In use, the base 1 is moved underneath the material.

An upright standard 2 is rigidly secured to base 1, having for example an enlarged head 3 at its lower end threaded into a socket in base 1. Standard 2 extends upwardly from base 1 and supports the stationary frame 4 of an electric motor which is arranged to reciprocate a knife 5 in a vertical guide at the front of standard 2. The machine can be provided with handles 6 and 7 secured on the frame of the machine and adapted to be grasped by the operator for guiding the machine during its movements through a stack of material.

In cutting machines of the type depicted in the accompanying drawings, the knife 5 is guided in a groove or slot 8 formed in the front edge of the standard 2, preferably between a pair of knife slides or guides 9 and 10, behind knife 5, and the members 9, 10 and 11 are held in assembled relation in groove 8 by bolts 12 or other suitable fastening means. i

It will be appreciated that as the machine is guided through the material to be cut, the severed edges of the cut material frictionally engage against the opposite sides of the standard 2. When cutting through a substantial depth of material the friction forces developed between the cut material and standard 2 become substantial. This is particularly true when cutting along a curve, because of the lateral thrust of the standard 2 against the material. These friction forces are reduced with my invention, in the following manner.

In accordance with my invention, standard 2 is provided with a primary fluid passage 13 extending from the upper portion of standard 2 substantially to the lower end thereof in base 1. In the illustrated embodiment, passage 13 comprises a vertical bore through standard 2 from the upper end thereof to a point just short of the lower end of the standard, between groove 8 and a rear edge of standard 2, the right-hand edge as viewed in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4. Pressure fluid, such as compressed air, is slided to passage 13 from a source, not shown, via flexible conduit 14 (FIG. 1) coupling 15, a lateral passage 16 in frame 4 and a vertical connection passage 17 (FIG. 4) opening into passage 13. A sealing gasket 18 can be positioned at the juncture of passages 13 and 17.

The pressure fiuid is discharged from primary passage 13 through a multiplicity of laterally directed outlet passages 19 which extend between primary passage 13 and the opposite sides of standard 2. Passages 19 are restricted in cross sectional area, relative to passage 13, and are arranged in closely spaced apart relation from an upper portion of standard 2 substantially to the lower end thereof in base 1, so as to be substantially coextensive with the depth of the material to be cut.

It will be observed from FIG. 3 that standard 2 is streamlined in shape, having its greatest width in a zone intermediate the front and rear edges of the standard. Preferably, the laterally directed outlet passages 19 open outwardly of the standard in its zone of greatest width. This causes the compressed air to be directed against the cut material in the zones of greatest friction, with the compressed air pushing the severed material laterally,

away from standard 2, thereby reducing the friction therebetween.

Accordingly, it is seen that my invention fully accomplishes its intended objects. Compressed air, or other pressure fluid, is applied in a manner spreading the cut material away from the machine standard, without encumbering the machine or otherwise hampering its operation.

While I have disclosed and described in detail but one embodiment, that has been done by Way of illustration only, without thought of limitation.

Having fully disclosed and completely described my invention, what I claim as new is:

1. In a material cutting machine having a base, a standard secured to said ,base and extending upwardly therefrom, said standard having front and rear edges, and a vertically reciprocating knife mounted on the front edge of said standard, that improvement which comprises primary fluid passage means through said standard from an upper portion thereof substantially to said base, means for supplying fluid under pressure to said primary passage means, and lateral outlet passage means from said primary passage means to the opposite sides of said standard for directing pressure fluid against the severed edges of material being cut and thereby reducing the friction between said standard and such material, wherein the width of said standard is greatest at a zone between said front and rear edges thereof, and wherein said lateral outlet passage means open through said standard substantially at said zone of greatest width thereof.

2. In a material cutting machine having a base, a standard secured to said base and extending upwardly therefrom, said standard having front and rear edges, and a vertically reciprocating knife mounted on the front edge of said standard, that improvement which comprises primary fluid passage means through said standard from an upper portion thereof substantially to said base, means for supplying fluid under pressure to said primary passage means, and lateral outlet passage means from said primary passage means to the opposite sidesof said standard for directing pressure fluid against the severed edges of material being cut and thereby reducing the friction between said standard and such material, wherein the width of said standard is. greatest at a zone between said front and rear edges thereof, and said knife reciprocates in a groove in said front edge of said standard, said primary fiuid passage means comprising a passage extending through said standard between said rear edge thereof and said groove, and said outlet passage means comprising a multi* plicity of lateral passages opening through said standard substantially at said zone of greatest width thereof and arranged in vertically spaced relation along said standard from an upper portion thereof substantially to said base.

3. The combination of claim 1, wherein said knife reciprocates in a groove in said front edge of said. standard said primary fluid passage means extends through said standard between said groove and said rear edge thereof, and wherein said lateral outlet passage means comprise a multiplicity of passages arranged in vertically spaced relation along said standard from an upper portion thereof substantially to said base.

4. The combination of claim 2, wherein said pressure fluid is compressed air.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,183,409 5/1916 Steinman 30-273 X 2,275,733 3/ 1942 Clark 30273 3,036,548 5/1962 Ulrich 30,273 .X 3,299,756 1/1967 Rosenthal 83-98 FOREIGN PATENTS 391,708 5/ 1933 Great Britain.

JAMES L. JONES, JR., Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A MATERIAL CUTTING MACHINE HAVING A BASE, A STANDARD SECURED TO SAID BASE AND EXTENDING UPWARDLY THEREFROM, SAID STANDARD HAVING FRONT AND REAR EDGES, AND A VERTICALLY RECIPROCATING KNIFE MOUNTED ON THE FRONT EDGE OF SAID STANDARD, THAT IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES PRIMARY FLUID PASSAGE MEANS THROUGH SAID STANDARD FROM AN UPPER PORTION THEROF SUBSTANTIALLY TO SAID BASE, MEANS FOR SUPPLYING FLUID UNDER PRESSURE TO SAID PRIMARY PASSAGE MEANS, AND LATERAL OUTLET PASSAGE MEANS FOR SAID PRIMARY PASSAGE MEANS TO THE OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID STANDARD FOR DIRECTING PRESSURE FLUID AGAINST THE SEVERED EDGES OF MATERIAL BEING CUT AND THEREBY REDUCING THE FRICTION BETWEEN SAID STANDARD AND SUCH MATERIAL, WHEREIN THE WIDTH OF SAID STANDARD IS GREATEST AT A ZONE BETWEEN SAID FRONT AND REAR EDGES THEREOF, AND WHEREIN SAID LATERAL OUTLET PASSAGE MEANS OPEN THROUGH SAID STANDARD SUBSTANTIALLY AT SAID ZONE OF GREATEST WIDTH THEREOF. 